Tài liệu LUYỆN ĐỌC TIẾNG ANH QUA TÁC PHẨM VĂN HỌC-Emma -Jane Austen Volume III Chapter IX pdf

Emma could not regret her having gone to Miss Bates, but she wished she had left her ten minutes earlier;—it would have been a great pleasure to talk over Jane Fairfax’s situation with M

Emma

Jane Austen

Volume III

Chapter IX

Emma’s pensive meditations, as she walked home, were not interrupted; but

on entering the parlour, she found those who must rouse her Mr Knightley

and Harriet had arrived during her absence, and were sitting with her

father.—Mr Knightley immediately got up, and in a manner decidedly

graver than usual, said,

‘I would not go away without seeing you, but I have no time to spare, and

therefore must now be gone directly I am going to London, to spend a few

days with John and Isabella Have you any thing to send or say, besides the

‘love,’ which nobody carries?’

‘Nothing at all But is not this a sudden scheme?’

‘Yes—rather—I have been thinking of it some little time.’

Emma was sure he had not forgiven her; he looked unlike himself Time,

however, she thought, would tell him that they ought to be friends again

While he stood, as if meaning to go, but not going— her father began his

inquiries

‘Well, my dear, and did you get there safely?—And how did you find my

worthy old friend and her daughter?—I dare say they must have been very

much obliged to you for coming Dear Emma has been to call on Mrs and

Miss Bates, Mr Knightley, as I told you before She is always so attentive to

them!’

Emma’s colour was heightened by this unjust praise; and with a smile, and

shake of the head, which spoke much, she looked at Mr Knightley.— It

seemed as if there were an instantaneous impression in her favour, as if his

eyes received the truth from her’s, and all that had passed of good in her

feelings were at once caught and honoured.— He looked at her with a glow

of regard She was warmly gratified— and in another moment still more so,

by a little movement of more than common friendliness on his part.—He

took her hand;— whether she had not herself made the first motion, she

could not say— she might, perhaps, have rather offered it—but he took her

hand, pressed it, and certainly was on the point of carrying it to his lips—

when, from some fancy or other, he suddenly let it go.—Why he should feel

such a scruple, why he should change his mind when it was all but done, she

could not perceive.—He would have judged better, she thought, if he had not

stopped.—The intention, however, was indubitable; and whether it was that

his manners had in general so little gallantry, or however else it happened,

but she thought nothing became him more.— It was with him, of so simple,

yet so dignified a nature.— She could not but recall the attempt with great

satisfaction It spoke such perfect amity.—He left them immediately

afterwards— gone in a moment He always moved with the alertness of a

mind which could neither be undecided nor dilatory, but now he seemed

more sudden than usual in his disappearance

Emma could not regret her having gone to Miss Bates, but she wished she

had left her ten minutes earlier;—it would have been a great pleasure to talk

over Jane Fairfax’s situation with Mr Knightley.— Neither would she regret

that he should be going to Brunswick Square, for she knew how much his

visit would be enjoyed—but it might have happened at a better time—and to

have had longer notice of it, would have been pleasanter.—They parted

thorough friends, however; she could not be deceived as to the meaning of

his countenance, and his unfinished gallantry;—it was all done to assure her

that she had fully recovered his good opinion.—He had been sitting with

them half an hour, she found It was a pity that she had not come back

earlier!

In the hope of diverting her father’s thoughts from the disagreeableness of

Mr Knightley’s going to London; and going so suddenly; and going on

horseback, which she knew would be all very bad; Emma communicated her

news of Jane Fairfax, and her dependence on the effect was justified; it

supplied a very useful check,— interested, without disturbing him He had

long made up his mind to Jane Fairfax’s going out as governess, and could

talk of it cheerfully, but Mr Knightley’s going to London had been an

unexpected blow

‘I am very glad, indeed, my dear, to hear she is to be so comfortably settled

Mrs Elton is very good-natured and agreeable, and I dare say her

acquaintance are just what they ought to be I hope it is a dry situation, and

that her health will be taken good care of It ought to be a first object, as I

am sure poor Miss Taylor’s always was with me You know, my dear, she is

going to be to this new lady what Miss Taylor was to us And I hope she will

be better off in one respect, and not be induced to go away after it has been

her home so long.’

The following day brought news from Richmond to throw every thing else

into the background An express arrived at Randalls to announce the death of

Mrs Churchill! Though her nephew had had no particular reason to hasten

back on her account, she had not lived above six-and-thirty hours after his

return A sudden seizure of a different nature from any thing foreboded by

her general state, had carried her off after a short struggle The great Mrs

Churchill was no more

It was felt as such things must be felt Every body had a degree of gravity

and sorrow; tenderness towards the departed, solicitude for the surviving

friends; and, in a reasonable time, curiosity to know where she would be

buried Goldsmith tells us, that when lovely woman stoops to folly, she has

nothing to do but to die; and when she stoops to be disagreeable, it is equally

to be recommended as a clearer of ill-fame Mrs Churchill, after being

disliked at least twenty-five years, was now spoken of with compassionate

allowances In one point she was fully justified She had never been

admitted before to be seriously ill The event acquitted her of all the

fancifulness, and all the selfishness of imaginary complaints

‘Poor Mrs Churchill! no doubt she had been suffering a great deal: more

than any body had ever supposed—and continual pain would try the temper

It was a sad event—a great shock—with all her faults, what would Mr

Churchill do without her? Mr Churchill’s loss would be dreadful indeed

Mr Churchill would never get over it.’— Even Mr Weston shook his head,

and looked solemn, and said, ‘Ah! poor woman, who would have thought

it!’ and resolved, that his mourning should be as handsome as possible; and

his wife sat sighing and moralising over her broad hems with a

commiseration and good sense, true and steady How it would affect Frank

was among the earliest thoughts of both It was also a very early speculation

with Emma The character of Mrs Churchill, the grief of her husband—her

mind glanced over them both with awe and compassion—and then rested

with lightened feelings on how Frank might be affected by the event, how

benefited, how freed She saw in a moment all the possible good Now, an

attachment to Harriet Smith would have nothing to encounter Mr Churchill,

independent of his wife, was feared by nobody; an easy, guidable man, to be

persuaded into any thing by his nephew All that remained to be wished was,

that the nephew should form the attachment, as, with all her goodwill in the

cause, Emma could feel no certainty of its being already formed

Harriet behaved extremely well on the occasion, with great self-command

What ever she might feel of brighter hope, she betrayed nothing Emma was

gratified, to observe such a proof in her of strengthened character, and

refrained from any allusion that might endanger its maintenance They

spoke, therefore, of Mrs Churchill’s death with mutual forbearance

Short letters from Frank were received at Randalls, communicating all that

was immediately important of their state and plans Mr Churchill was better

than could be expected; and their first removal, on the departure of the

funeral for Yorkshire, was to be to the house of a very old friend in Windsor,

to whom Mr Churchill had been promising a visit the last ten years At

present, there was nothing to be done for Harriet; good wishes for the future

were all that could yet be possible on Emma’s side

It was a more pressing concern to shew attention to Jane Fairfax, whose

prospects were closing, while Harriet’s opened, and whose engagements

now allowed of no delay in any one at Highbury, who wished to shew her

kindness—and with Emma it was grown into a first wish She had scarcely a

stronger regret than for her past coldness; and the person, whom she had

been so many months neglecting, was now the very one on whom she would

have lavished every distinction of regard or sympathy She wanted to be of

use to her; wanted to shew a value for her society, and testify respect and

consideration She resolved to prevail on her to spend a day at Hartfield A

note was written to urge it The invitation was refused, and by a verbal

message ‘Miss Fairfax was not well enough to write;’ and when Mr Perry

called at Hartfield, the same morning, it appeared that she was so much

indisposed as to have been visited, though against her own consent, by

himself, and that she was suffering under severe headaches, and a nervous

fever to a degree, which made him doubt the possibility of her going to Mrs

Smallridge’s at the time proposed Her health seemed for the moment

completely deranged— appetite quite gone—and though there were no

absolutely alarming symptoms, nothing touching the pulmonary complaint,

which was the standing apprehension of the family, Mr Perry was uneasy

about her He thought she had undertaken more than she was equal to, and

that she felt it so herself, though she would not own it Her spirits seemed

overcome Her present home, he could not but observe, was unfavourable to

a nervous disorder:— confined always to one room;—he could have wished

it otherwise— and her good aunt, though his very old friend, he must

acknowledge to be not the best companion for an invalid of that description

Her care and attention could not be questioned; they were, in fact, only too

great He very much feared that Miss Fairfax derived more evil than good

from them Emma listened with the warmest concern; grieved for her more

and more, and looked around eager to discover some way of being useful

To take her—be it only an hour or two—from her aunt, to give her change of

air and scene, and quiet rational conversation, even for an hour or two, might

do her good; and the following morning she wrote again to say, in the most

feeling language she could command, that she would call for her in the

carriage at any hour that Jane would name— mentioning that she had Mr

Perry’s decided opinion, in favour of such exercise for his patient The

answer was only in this short note:

‘Miss Fairfax’s compliments and thanks, but is quite unequal to any

exercise.’

Emma felt that her own note had deserved something better; but it was

impossible to quarrel with words, whose tremulous inequality shewed

indisposition so plainly, and she thought only of how she might best

counteract this unwillingness to be seen or assisted In spite of the answer,

therefore, she ordered the carriage, and drove to Mrs Bates’s, in the hope

that Jane would be induced to join her— but it would not do;—Miss Bates

came to the carriage door, all gratitude, and agreeing with her most earnestly

in thinking an airing might be of the greatest service—and every thing that

message could do was

tried— but all in vain Miss Bates was obliged to return without success;

Jane was quite unpersuadable; the mere proposal of going out seemed to

make her worse.—Emma wished she could have seen her, and tried her own

powers; but, almost before she could hint the wish, Miss Bates made it

appear that she had promised her niece on no account to let Miss

Woodhouse in ‘Indeed, the truth was, that poor dear Jane could not bear to

see any body—any body at all— Mrs Elton, indeed, could not be denied—

and Mrs Cole had made such a point—and Mrs Perry had said so much—

but, except them, Jane would really see nobody.’

Emma did not want to be classed with the Mrs Eltons, the Mrs Perrys, and

the Mrs Coles, who would force themselves anywhere; neither could she

feel any right of preference herself— she submitted, therefore, and only

questioned Miss Bates farther as to her niece’s appetite and diet, which she

longed to be able to assist On that subject poor Miss Bates was very

unhappy, and very communicative; Jane would hardly eat any thing:— Mr

Perry recommended nourishing food; but every thing they could command

(and never had any body such good neighbours) was distasteful

Emma, on reaching home, called the housekeeper directly, to an examination

of her stores; and some arrowroot of very superior quality was speedily

despatched to Miss Bates with a most friendly note In half an hour the

arrowroot was returned, with a thousand thanks from Miss Bates, but ‘dear

Jane would not be satisfied without its being sent back; it was a thing she

could not take—and, moreover, she insisted on her saying, that she was not

at all in want of any thing.’

When Emma afterwards heard that Jane Fairfax had been seen wandering

about the meadows, at some distance from Highbury, on the afternoon of the

very day on which she had, under the plea of being unequal to any exercise,

so peremptorily refused to go out with her in the carriage, she could have no

doubt—putting every thing together— that Jane was resolved to receive no

kindness from her She was sorry, very sorry Her heart was grieved for a

state which seemed but the more pitiable from this sort of irritation of spirits,

inconsistency of action, and inequality of powers; and it mortified her that

she was given so little credit for proper feeling, or esteemed so little worthy

as a friend: but she had the consolation of knowing that her intentions were

good, and of being able to say to herself, that could Mr Knightley have been

privy to all her attempts of assisting Jane Fairfax, could he even have seen

into her heart, he would not, on this occasion, have found any thing to

reprove